Mechanism for slitting fabric



R. P. HAYDEN MECHANISM FOR SLITTING FABRIC .Filed April 18. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 19, 1931. R. P. HAYDEN MECHANISM FOR SLITTING FABRIC Filed Aprill 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 19, 1931 narra s'rrss ROBERT P. HAYDEN, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSC-NOR TO JOHNSON & JOHNSON, O E NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, A CORFORATION OF NEW JERSEY MECHANISM FOR SLITTING FABRIC Application led April 18, 1929. Serial No. 356,081.

The invention is more particularly addressed to t-he manufacture of surgical gauze dressings or bandages and mainly of the low cost or non-selvage class ot bandages which 5 are strips emanating `from bulk fabric as by longitudinally slitting it. That practice sutters the disadvantage that it makes for loose threads or ravelings which give the article an unfinished or crude appearance withlo out regard to thc tact that the hazard ot '5.5 ric.

loose threads is very objectionable in wound dressing. Many methods and machines heretofore have been proposed as having certain advantages in slitting bandage fab- Some ot them are fairly good and others are impracticable and even those having some point ot merit are objectionable from some weighty' cause or other, as for eX- ample, initial cost as well as cost ot mainte- 2o nance of the machine, but principally because they distort the fabric which of course means eventual if not immediate raveling conditions. The old practice generally was to blaze a trail or path for the slitting ini5 strumentalities by spreading or separating certain ot the warp or longitudinal threads, thus making for two distinct operations,- separation and slitting.

Now the object ot this invention is to pro- 33 vide for slitting fabrics ot the nature of surgical gauze in such way as to lessen the cost or' the operation and in such way as to obviate distortion ot the fabric and so that the divided strips or bandages will be wholly tree from raveling and otherwise superior to bandages produced according to the old-practice.

The nature ot the invention is a mechanism for severing the warp and filler at one fl operation and in such way that there is no Fig. 2 is a top view ot the tooth cutters and Vgrooved die or platen roll.

Fig. 3 is a view principally in diagram and on a greatly enlarged scale showing how the cutters cooperate with the roll.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of gauze in severed state, in part showing the presence of cut warp and liller particles and in part Jfreed ot such particles.

Figs. 5, 6 and are details ot the toothed cutters.

Aside from the particulars hereinafter stated, the machine may be as usual or ot any approved construction. the invention, there is provided a die or platen roll 5, having spaced annular grooves or recesses 6 for cooperation with complemental cutters or slitters. The tread or periphery ot' roll 5 between its grooved areas is tired with abrasive material as, for eX-' ample, iine emery cloth 7. The citect of this is to establish such traction as will lend cooperative aid in preventing distortion of t-he goods between the grooved areas or channels, and to provide continuous cutting surfaces 8, at the marginal limits of the grooves, for cooperation with the main cutters. Obviously the die roll 5 and cutter-carrying roll 9 are mounted for rotation in opposite directions. The cutter-carrying roll 9 centers a plurality of cutters l() one tor each groove of the die roll. The cutters are ot disc form or more accurately speaking of gen erally circular saw type, each preferably being equipped with twenty teeth, which project, as at 1l, in the direction of rotation, although the number ot teeth may vary accordingto the thread count or according to other controlling circumstances. The undercutting; or spacing of the teeth ot course makes for the independence ot the same to establish the desired interruption between cutting areas. The teeth have hollow points, that is to say their pointsare concaved or grooved, the groove vanishing rearwardly in the body ot the shank. The effect of this is to establish twin cutting surfaces 12 which converge and ultimately vanish in the bodies ot the respective teeth.

It will be understood that the cutter-carry- According to l 'sie ing roll and the'die roll are on fixedjly ad-.

justed centers with sufficient clearance or tolerance for the hollow point cutters toV clear the bottoms of the grooves Vof the die roll. vHence, with gauze passing over the die roll in the direction of the arrow, the coordinate effect of the vdie roll provisions and the hollow. 'points or twin cutting edgesr of the toothed cutters is ContemporaneouslyV to sev er the var porflongitudinal threads andthe#V n weft orv iilling threadsv ofthatpart of the gauze tracked between the toothed disc lcutters and the `grooves of the die rollj, Thisv is shown somewhat exaggeratedjin Fig. 3, and on a somewhat less exaggerated scale in Fig.

4. In the latter,'it'will be observed that the slit .areas are bounded byrcrosses at or in he -regi'on of intersecting warp and weft threads, kandgthat such crosses represent the cutting `V,zo

waste. It is a merit of the annularlyinterrupted or toothed cutters'that their overhungv construction permits them to perform 'the 'additional function of' at least to some'eX- tent vpicking' the loose threads or thread particles. However, the elimination of such material is mainly provided for by a piclrer'l and suctionelement lil', either or-both, interposed between the slitting iiistruinentalities andV the rewindng roll.

Having described my invention, I claim l. Mechanism for slitting bandage fabric,

comprising, in combination, a platen roll s having annular .grooves eachproviding continuous'cutting dies, and a circularcutter- Ycarrying roll the periphery of each cutter be- Y ing equipped with interrupted cutter ele- 'of each delinestwin cutting surfaces, which cooperate with the dies to remove zones of fabric, each Yinclusive of an Ventire,v warp thread, in separating the fabric into strips. In testimony whereof l afhx my signature.

Y ROBERT P. HAYDEN.

ments each presenting twin cutting surfaces Y mounted to tr ck the grooves for cooperation Vwith the continuous cutting dies.

2. Mechanism for slitting bandage fabric, comprising, in combinatiom'a platen yroll having dies defined by annular grooves or channels, Ta circular cutter-carrying-ro'll, the periphery of eachcutter being interrupted to provide hollow point cutter elements, the hollowipoint cutter elements defining dual cuttingl surfaces for cooperation with the dies.v

8. Mechanism for slitting bandage fabric, comprising,`in combination, fabric supports `including, a platen 'roll having annular grooves or channels to establish continuous cutting dies,sleevesoflabrasive material on said roll between said grooves, and a complemental roll equipped with spaced radial-'ele- .mentsl each defining dual cutters for cooperation with the dies.

It. Mechanism for slitting bandage fabric,

comprising, incombination, fabric supports including a platen roll interruptedby annu` lar grooves or channels', v and a circular cutterpcarryingroll in operative relation therewith,

the periphery of each cutter being equipped with hollow point cutter elements presenting twin cutting surfaces adapted and arranged to traverse the grooves. 

